Fluid operated pressing machine



H. D. FORSE 2,2913% FLUID OPERATED PRESSING MACHINE Feb. 11, 1941.

3 Sheets-Sheet l I Filed Dec; 6, 1957 3 Harry 1 01 5 1 awn/Mm H. D. FORSE Feb. 11, 1941.

Filed Dec. 6, 1937 FLUID OPERATED PRESSING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb, 11, 1941. H. D. FORSE FLUID OPERATED PRESSING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6, 1937 5 Sheets-Shee t 5" Qwuwwbov Hal-1y Ibrse Gamma/1;;

Patented Feb. 11 1941 l.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,231,804 FLUID: OPERATED ranssme MACHINE Harry D. Forse, Anderson, Ind.

Application December 6, 1937, Serial No. 178,375

4 Claims. (01. 38-40) This invention relates: to certain new and useful cordance with the present invention, the leverv improvements in fluid operated pressing machines. head carrying the steam chest being illustrated in In pressing machines of the general type disits elevated open position; 1 closed in this application, it has heretofore been Figure 2 is a side elevational view, similar to the practice to construct such machines with the Figure l, showing'the lever head and steam chest 5 power unit thereof permanently built into the ma carried thereby in closed position relative to the chine frame with diiferent. elements of the power buck; V 1 unit somewhat inaccessible for repair or replace- Figure 3 is an inner face view of the casting that ment and when such repairs or replacements are houses the power unit at the front side of the required which is quite frequent due to heavy duty machine removed from the machine and with the 10 of pressing machines, the later is, placed, out of p wer un t removedfw he c service for a considerable period of time for repair Figure 4 is: a vertical cross-sectional view taken work. on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

It is therefore the primary object of this inven- Figure 5 is a fragmentary front elevational View tion to construct a fluid operated pressing machine of the machine frame, with the bed, buck and 5 wherein the power unit for controlling the opening lever head removed and with the front wall of the and closing movement of thelever head and, steam removable power unit carrying casing removed chest carried thereby for cooperation with the to illustrate the power unit; and

buck is mounted within a casing at, the front side ure 6 is a Ve tical cross-Sectional view of the of the machine frame with the casing easily and mechanism shown in Fi e I 20 quickly removed from the machine frame carrying Referring more in detail to the accompanying the power unit therein with a new power unit drawings, the fluid operated pressing machineis substituted therefor while the damaged unit is mounted upon a stand or table of any preferred being repaired, aminimum of time being required character common to machines of this gen ra 5 for removal of the damaged power unit and retype, the reference character l0 designating in placement of a new one. general a'frame supporting a table I l at its upper A further object of theinventi'on is to provide end through which a standard [2 passes from the a fluid-operated pressing machine wherein a manframe for the support on theupper end thereof of ually operated handle carried by the lever head a buck l3. The rear side of the frame in carries is movable independently thereof for the operaan upstanding bracket l4 upon which a lever head 30' tion of pneumatic devices; that in turn effect the i5 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, the opening and closing movements of the lever head, lever head carrying a steam chest it that is and steam chest carried thereby relative to the adapted to be lowered for engagementwith the buck, a link and lever system being interposed bebuck l3 as shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figures tween the lever head and fluid operated devices 1 and 2, a removable casing I! for the power unit 35 for effecting rapid opening'and closing movements having a detachable front wall It is secured to of the lever head and also operative after closure the front side of the frame ID by means of a pair of the lever head for imparting increased pressure of screw bolts I9 shown in Fi r 5 h t pa thereto and corresponding increased pressure of through a pair of lateral ears 20 carried by the 40 the steam chest on the buck. casing l! with the two screw bolts i9 constituting 40 The pressures to which a. pressing machine of the sole means for removably securing the casing the type disclosed herein is subjected rapidly I! to the frame. Lugs 2|. depending from the wears down the padding and a further object of lower end of the casing ll interfittingly engage this invention is to provide a padding-wear indian adjacent part of the frame it as shown in Figcater so that an operator may tell at a glance when ures 5 and 6. 45 repadding of the press is required. The power unit for the pressing machine is car- With the above and other objects in view that ried by the casing l7 and is bodily removable will become apparent as the nature of the inventherewith from the machine frame It for purtion is better understood, the same consists in the poses of repair or the like and said power unit comnovel form, combination and arrangement of parts prises a cylinder 22 shown more clearly in Figures 50 hereinafter more fully described, shown in the 5 and 6 as being pivotally suspended at its upper accompanying drawings and claimed. end upon the bolt 23 that in turn is mounted at its In the drawings: opposite ends in bearings 24 depending from the Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a fluid top wall of the casing l1. Afluid or air operated as operated ressing machine constructed in acpiston within the cylinder 22 is carried by'apiston rod 25 projecting from the lower end of the cylinder 22 for attachment to a part of the operating mechanism for the lever head l5 to be presently described. A bridge plate 26 extends between the side walls of the casing H at the outer side thereof and said bridge plate has mounted thereon at the outer side thereof and inwardly of the removable cover wall l8, a valve box 21 carrying a pair of valves 28 and 29 carrying valve stems 39 and 3| respectively extending upwardly therefrom and the initial positions of said valves 28 and 29 consists of one valve being open while the other one is closed and to facilitate the description of the operation of the device, the valve 29 will be referred to as the one normally closed while the valve 28 will be the normally open valve. An arm 32 rises from the valve box 21 between the valves 28 and 29 and pivotally supports'at the upper end thereof as at 33, the lever 34 that has the end 35 thereof engaged by one end of the coil spring 36 with the other end of said sprin'ganchored as at 31 to the bridge plate 26. As shown in Figure 5, the valve stems 39 and 3| are loosely connected as at 38 to the lever 34 at opposite sides of the pivot 33 to effect operation of the valves 28 and 29, the spring 36 normally holding the valve 28 in open position with the valve 29 in closed position. A pipe 39 arranged at the inner side of the casing 1 inwardly of the bridge plate 26 is attached at its upper end as at 40 to the valve box 21 and the lower end of said pipe 39 has a union connection 4| with a pipe fitting 42 in the machine frame I!) that is in communication with' a source of fluid supply. The valves 28 and 29 have a flexible pipe connection 43 with the head of the cylinder 22 for the delivery and exhaust of air to and from the cylinder, the valve box 21 also having a mufller outlet or exhaust pipe 44.

As shown more clearly in Figures 1, 2 and 6, a lever 45 is pivotally mounted adjacent one end thereof as at 46 in the lower end of the frame In adjacent the rear portion thereof and the forward end of the lever 45 terminating adjacent the front of the frame l6 below the open lower end of the casing H has a removable pin connection 41 with the lower end of the piston rod 25. The rear end of the lever 45 that projects outwardly of the rear side of the machine frame ID has pivotally attached thereto as at 48, the lower end of a toggle link 49 that is pivotally attached at its upper end as at 58 to a second toggle link 5| which in turn is pivoted as at 52 at its other end to the rear end of the lever head |5. When the lever head I5 is in its elevated open position as shown in Figure 1, the toggle levers 49 and 5| are folded or collapsed and said lever head is retained in such position by means of coil springs 53 attached respectively at their ends to opposite sides of the lever head |5 as at 54 rearwardly of the head pivot and to the lower sides of the machine frame as at 55. A cam track 56 is anchored at its ends as at 51 to supports on the machine frame I 0 and a roller 58 working in the cam track has pivotally attached thereto one end of an arm 59 thathas its other end pivotally attached as at 69 to the toggle link 49 adjacent the lower end thereof, the roller 58 also having pivotally attached thereto one end of an arm 6| that has its other end attached as at 62 to the lever 45 adjacent the front side of the machine frame, this arrangement acting to provide increased pressure in the closing of the steam chest l6 upon the buck l3.

A lever head I 5 is fluid or pneumatically operated and to render active the devices for moving the lever head, manually operated means is carried by said lever head, but is not intended for manual operation of the latter either in opening or closing movements of the lever head.

The manually operated devices include an arm 63 that is pivotally mounted on the lever head l5 as at 64, the front end of the arm 63 carrying a downwardly directed guard 65 provided with a handle 66. The rear end of the arm 63 beyond the pivot 64 is pivotally connected as at 61 to one end of a link 68 which in turn is pivotally connected as at 69 to a cam block 13 pivoted on the head |5 as at 1|. A toggle arm 12 carried by thearm pivot 64 has one end of a coil spring 13 attached thereto as at 14 while the other end of the spring is attached as at 15 to the lever head l5. A lever comprising portions 16 and 11 is pivoted intermediate its ends as at 18 on the arm |4 rising from the machine frame l9, the upper end of the lever portion 16 being engaged by the cam 10 while the lower portion 11 of said lever is pivotally attached as at 19 to a forwardly directed rod 8|] that extends into the upper end of the casing H as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 6.

A bell crank lever 8| is pivotally mounted on a pin 82 mounted in the bearing 83 in a side wall of the casing H as shown in Figures 3 to 6 and the forward end of the rod is engaged with the upper leg 85 of the bell crank lever 8|, while the other lower leg 86 of the bell crank lever is engaged with the lower end of an angle arm 81 that has its upper end attached to the end 88 of the lever 34 for the operation of the valves 28 and 29 as shown in Figure 5.

In pressing machines of the type disclosed herein, the padding is subjected to severe wear and it is the usual practice to repad the steam chest and buck weekly and to enable the operator to determine the amount of wear on the padding, an indicator is provided and is operated by the plunger-rod 25 during the lowering movement of the later. As shown more clearly in Figures 5 and 6,'the block 89 mounted within the farme l6 below the open lower end of the casing |1 carries a horizontal pin 90 for the pivotal support of an indicator arm 9| that projects upwardly through a slotted and graduated dial plate 92 carried by the front wall of the frame, the pivot point 93 of the indicator arm 9| being tensioned as at 94 for holding the indicator arm in its shifte'd position. The lower end 95 of the indicator arm carries a wear plate 96 that is in the path of lowering movement of the piston rod 25 to be engaged by said piston rod as diagrammatically illustrated at 25a in Figure 6.

- Assuming the lever head l5 to be in its raised and open position as shown in Figure 1 and it being desired to lower the head and place the chest I6 in contact with the buck 3, the handle 66 is gripped for moving the arm 63 on its pivot 64 and which movement positions the guard 65 slightly below the chest |6 as well as moving the cam 10 through the medium of the link 68 attached to said arm 63 for the operation of the lever elements 16 and 11 to shift the rod 80 for opening the normally closed valve 29 and closing the normally open valve 28 through the medium of the bell crank lever 8| and angle arm 81 extending between said bell crank lever and the lever 34, movement of the lever 34 being accomplished against the tension of the spring 36. When the arm 63 is lowered as stated, the spring device 13 holds the same in lowered position by moving to a point below the arm pivot 64 which movement positions the cam 10 for holding the rod 80 in its projected position with the valve 29 open for the supply of fluid under pressure to the cylinder 22. The piston in the cylinder 22 projects the piston rod 25 for the operation of the lever 45, lowering movement of the lever 45 on its pivot 46 moving the roller 58 downwardly through the cam track 56 for shifting the toggle link 49 by means of the arms SI and 59 carried by said roller 58 and attached respectively to the lever 45 and toggle link 49, the straightening movements of the toggle links 49 and 5| efiecting upward movement of the rear end of the lever head l5 and downward movement of the forward end thereof for placing the chest 56 in engagement with the buck I3. The upper portion of the cam track 56 effects rapid movement of the connected toggle links 49 and 5i and movement thereafter of the roller 58 in the cam track 56 produces increased pressure of the chest It on the buck it. During the downward projection of the piston rod 25, the lower end thereof moves into engagement with the lower end 95 of the indicator arm 9| for causing the latter to move over the graduated dial plate 92 which indicates the degree of wear of the padding of the machine. A reverse operation of the element is effected when it is desired to elevate the lever head l5 from the closed position shown in Figure 2 to the open position shown in Figure 1, the initial manual operation of the arm 63 acting to relieve pressure of the rod 80 of the bell crank lever 8|, the initial manual movements of the arm 63 being retained in its released position by the spring device 13 and at this time the valve 29 is closed and the valve 28 opened by movement of the lever 34 to permit exhaust of air from the cylinder 22 by Way of the flexible pipe 43 to the exhaust muilier pipe 44.

From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent and while there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a fluid operated pressing machine of the character described, a frame, a buck rising therefrom, a lever head carrying a steam chest above the buck, operating levers for the lever head and steam chest carried by the frame, a removable casing carried by the front side of the frame, a complete power unit for operation of the lever head mounted in the removable casing, the power unit including an air cylinder having connection with the operating levers for the lever head, air control valves for the cylinder and means carried by the frame and head for operation of the air control valves.

2. In a fluid operated pressing machine of the character described, a frame, a buck rising therefrom, a lever head carrying a steam chest above the buck, operating levers for the lever head and steam chest carried by the frame, a removable casing carried by the front side of the frame, a complete power unit for operation of the lever head mounted in the removable casing, the power unit including an air cylinder having connection with the operating levers for the lever head, air control valves for the cylinder and means carried by the frame and head for operation of the air control valves, including a cam movable on the head, a manually movable arm and a guard carried by the head for initial operation thereof and a connected lever and plunger rod operated by the cam withthe plunger rod operating the air control valve.

3. In a fluid operated pressing machine of the character described, a frame, a buck rising therefrom, a lever head'carrying a steam chest above the buck and a power unit for operation of the head carried by the front of the frame and including a reciprocating rod, and a padding compacting indicator carried by the frame and including a pivoted lever adapted to be operated by said reciprocating rod.

4. In a fluid operated pressing machine of the character described, a frame, a buck rising therefrom, a lever head carrying a steam chest above the buck, a power unit for operation of the head carried by the frame and including an air cylinder having a piston therein and a piston rod carried by the piston with the free end thereof projecting outwardly of the cylinder and a padding compacting indicator carried by the frame including a lever disposed in the path of movement of the piston rod for operation thereby.

HARRY D. FORSE. 

